


Living, Again

by space_jelly



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-20 23:23:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20683661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_jelly/pseuds/space_jelly
Summary: Returning to Hyrule after a hundred years, Zelda has trouble adapting to her new role as Queen. Can she lead the kingdom to a new Golden Age? And more importantly, can she rebuild her relationship with Link?





	Living, Again

Ganon was no more, but there was still so much left to do.

Hyrule was in ruins and had been for the past hundred years. Life had gone on, and small communities had survived on their own, but the Hyrule she knew was gone. Everyone would need to work together to restore the kingdom to its former glory.

It had only been a couple days since Zelda had returned to her physical form, and with Link at her side, she wanted to tour the various villages and cities that survived the Calamity. She did not want to waste any time.

In the first few places they stopped, mostly stables on their way to Kakariko, the people were overjoyed to learn Ganon was defeated, and drinks were raised in the name of the newly crowned Queen.

Although few of the current inhabitants of Hyrule had lived through its collapse, they all had been told stories of its past glory and magnificence, and all were looking forward to a return to the Hyrule of the Golden Age.

Zelda had trouble sharing their enthusiasm. Things were supposed to be back to normal. Why didn't she feel like they were?

She had just spent a hundred years trapped with darkness itself, with her memories alone to keep her company, waiting, while everyone she ever knew died out.

A century of loneliness.

She still felt the sting of it, every night she was alone with her thoughts. She was afraid of being alone, but she couldn't admit it to anyone. She had trouble sleeping in complete darkness. She often had nightmares of everyone around her disappearing into a black void, leaving her completely by herself. She would shout but no one would answer. She always woke up crying.

She couldn't even find comfort in her relationship with Link. What was left of it, anyway.

Being around him was different than it used to be. It was not his fault. He was still the brave kind-hearted boy he had always been, that hadn't changed, but his near death had taken away so much from him. He forgot too much. He did recover some of his memories, but not all of them, not the ones that mattered to her right now: all the moments they spent together, how close they were, and how much they cared about each other. She knew she couldn't make him love her again. If that was gone forever, what could she do about it? The most important part was that he was alive, right?

She felt she only had herself to blame for not being able to adjust to their new relationship.

Still how could he forget all those moments, all those feelings, when she had a hundred years to remember? How to cope when after a hundred years fantasizing about meeting again, she realized it did not mean to him what it meant to her?

It hurt being with him, but she still wanted him around, because whether he remembered it or not, she cared, deeply.

All those feelings she tried her best to tuck away, so she could focus on being a good queen and lead Hyrule to the best of her abilities. She sometimes worried if the people knew they would deem her unfit to rule. She had to act strong, for her people, and for the kingdom.

* * *

They got to Kakariko by the dawn of the sixth day. The sun was only just starting to rise and the village was still fast asleep.

It was almost as she remembered it, with it's small houses with large dome-like roofs. It managed to survive quite well, mostly due to its location, hidden away in the mountains.

The first thing she did upon arriving was visiting her old friend Impa, who lived at the west end of the village, in a temple that was at least thrice as big as the average house.

She was initially greeted in front of the temple by a shy young woman, who introduced herself as Paya. She had recognized Link and quickly deduced who Zelda was. 

Paya did not waste a moment to let her inside, where was sitting a tiny elderly woman wearing a mushroom shaped hat. Zelda instantly knew who it was.

It was good to see Impa again, even if she had changed. But the comfort of seeing a familiar face faded almost immediately when she realized it was not so familiar anymore. A hundred years does change a person, both in body and mind. The old woman was cordial, even nice, and told her about the past hundred years of isolation and resilience of the small village and how she assisted Link on his quest.

Zelda paid as much attention as she could muster, but she was distracted by the cracks and folds on her long time friend’s face, who stood there like quiet reminders of all the time she spent battling the beast. She realized she was staring at Impa, but the old woman didn't seem to notice.

Since the day was new and she had a lot of time on her hands, she tried to get people to join her to rebuild Hyrule’s capital. Her heart was not in it, even though the rebirth of Hyrule was important to her. Her mind was not at ease, still preoccupied by memories of the past hundred years of nothingness and evil. It made it hard to think about the future.

She felt disconnected from the Hyrule she had just come back to. It was different from the one she remembered. Almost everyone she knew was no more, and the people only knew her from tales and legends.

A few people did decide to join her and help rebuild, thanks to Impa's support. They trusted the old woman more than Zelda, and she couldn't blame them. She was a stranger to them. She was a stranger to everyone.

Every night the spent in Kakariko she slept with a light on. She was terrified of being in the dark.

Link's presence was not much comfort, and she had been keeping him at distance. She told him she could handle it all herself, and that he needn't be there all the time. He objected at first but ended up complying.

Their relationship had died with him, and it had not been brought back. It was hard to even look at him sometimes.

After a day preparing the rest of the trip, they left Kakariko.

* * *

They were headed for Hateno Village. The road had been mostly quiet; Link had never been great conversation, even if he did try sometimes to talk to her.

"What are you going to do once we get there?"

"Well, let's see... If it's not too late I'll call a village assembly, gather the complaints and ideas of the townsfolk, and I'll talk to them about rebuilding Central Hyrule. Maybe I can get some people interested in the project. We'll need all the help we can get."

She then said, "But if it's late we'll find a place to rest and do all that tomorrow."

"I have a house there. Maybe we can stay there. I can take the sofa," he said, "Unless you'd rather stay at the inn?"

"No, no, your house sounds good."

She looked up at the sky. She could tell then would only reach Hateno by dusk. Their horses hadn't been very cooperative today.

She turned her head around for a second and caught a glimpse of him. The way the sun was hitting his face made him look even more glowing than usual. He was such a delicate looking man. His slender body bouncing up and down as the horse trotted forward. He did not look as strong as he was. She had always liked that about him.

She quickly focused back on the road. She couldn't get lost in these kind of thoughts. Not now, not ever.

And so, as she predicted, night was starting to fall when they reached the village. Hateno was a well preserved little town. Despite the hardships Hyrule had suffered, life had stayed sweet there.

Overseeing the town was Purah's lab, an old lighthouse repurposed into a research center of sorts; She would have to check up on her as well. The discoveries made there will be crucial to rebuilding Hyrule.

They approached Link’s house. It was a decently sized house, especially for one person. She was a little curious how it looked inside. Was he messy or neat?

They slowed down, got off their horses and tied them outside of Link's.

"Princess Zelda, by the Goddess, it's really you!" Some of the townspeople had recognized her.

"And you, you're the hero, aren't you?" Link nodded.

Zelda mingled a bit with the locals while Link got inside and started cooking them something.

"I expect to see you all in the morning tomorrow,” she said as she was about to enter the house.

Something in there smelled nice. It became apparent he had become quite the cook during his adventures. It was fascinating to see him work in the kitchen.

The house was neat, with various swords he had acquired during his travels through Hyrule displayed on the wall. In the middle of the room, a small wooden table and a couple chairs. It was a nice place. She liked it.

The both of them shared the meal link had prepared. They were sitting in front of each other. It felt too intimate, almost like a date. She had trouble looking him in the eyes. They did not talk much.

Once dinner was over she went upstairs. She took the bed and he stayed downstairs. She wished he would join her, hold her, so she wouldn't feel so alone, but she knew it would not happen.

She was not expecting to get very restful sleep. She hadn't had a quiet night in over a century.

* * *

That night she had the nightmare again, except this time it was slightly different. It still started the same: she was surrounded by people she knew, and one after the other they got taken by the darkness around them, until she was all alone. But this time she could see a figure appearing far away. She was certain it was Link. She ran towards him without being able to get any closer. She cried out to him but he didn't seem to hear her. She kept shouting, "Link! Link!"

She got taken out of it by the sounds of footsteps coming from the staircase. Her face was wet with tears. She gathered the strength to get up and face whoever was coming in.

It was Link. She had been calling out to him while dreaming.

She felt so happy to see him. She got up and walked towards him. When he was finally within reach, she instinctively jumped in his arms and held him as tight as she could.

It felt so good and safe.

This hug was simple gesture, one she didn't realize would bring her so much comfort. She had missed that so much. It only took a horrible nightmare do dare do it again.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, her head laying on his shoulder, "just a bad dream."

"Do you want to try going back to sleep? Or do you want me to stay up with you?"

"Please stay."

She spent the rest of the night with him, the two of them sitting on the bed, talking. Something had changed within her; she wouldn't avoid talking to him anymore. Whether he remembered their time together or not, he had been there for her ever since she came back. And, she hoped, maybe one day he would come to feel for her the same way again.

She didn't feel like she could ever confess to him all over again, but she now felt comfortable telling him about the nightmares, and the pain.

So she told him about it, about how she felt alone all the time, how she was scared of the dark, how she was worried she did not make a good queen.

He tried his best to comfort her "I can't imagine what it felt like to be trapped for so long, surrounded by so much darkness. And it may take you time to recover, but I'll always be there to help you along the way," he said.

Of course he would. Why did she ever doubt it. She couldn't push him away anymore. Whether he loved her or not she wanted him in her life.

Daylight came quickly, and it was soon time to meet with the people of Hateno. She might not have slept very long, or very well, but she felt better than she had since she came back.

* * *

"... And so I everyone of working age to consider joining me in Central Hyrule, to rebuild our nation's capital. I won’t lie to to you, it will be hard work, But I can promise you the rewards will be great. We will be able to create a place for all the races of Hyrule to work, live, and trade together. And of course, you will be well compensated."

She let the crowd chatter a bit before starting speaking again.

"I will be staying in Hateno for the next couple days, so you have some time to make your decision. If you chose to join our efforts, or if you have further questions, come see me in the house at the entrance of the village. Thank you for your time."

She was starting to get better at public speaking, at getting people's attention. She felt proud of her performance.

She moved away from the crowd and back towards the house. She was beginning to feel the lack of sleep, but she had to power through as she planned on visiting Purah in the afternoon. Link had warned her she would be different from how she remembered her, although in a completely different way than Impa.

But before that, Link had cooked them lunch. He really had a way with food. It was delicious. They ate together and this time she did not actively look away from him. She talked about her meeting with the villagers. They would look each other in the eyes; It made her blush a little.

"Do you want me to come with you at Purah's?" Link asked.

"Of course. I just hope it won't be too boring for you," she replied. After days and days of being told to stay away he still asked to be around. Maybe he really did enjoy being with her? Now was not the time to overthink this, she thought.

And so they headed for the old lighthouse at the edge of town, towards the water. They got there quickly; It was not that far from the village.

Zelda did not immediately go in to meet her old research partner. Instead she took a couple minutes to take in the view. She had missed the ocean. Most things in Hyrule had changed, but it had stayed the same. There was something comforting about seeing its waves crash one after the other against the cliff they were standing on.

Link was standing by her side, staring into the horizon as well.

After a moment they entered the lighthouse.

"Visitors!" said a small girl who was sitting at her desk, in the middle of writing something. Zelda knew who it was almost instantly as she had been warned about the kind of changes Purah went though. "Oh! Princess Zelda! Or should I say, Queen Zelda?" She completely ignored Link.

"Purah! It is good to see you. It has been too long."

"Too long indeed," said the tiny girl, nodding firmly.

They spent an hour or two catching up. Purah told her about the past hundred years, the initial rebuilding after the calamity, her de-aging and how she also helped Link defeat Ganon. Zelda explained to her that she was trying to get people to rebuild Central Hyrule, and inquired if Purah had made any discoveries that could help speed along the process.

"I'm sorry but I don’t think I can be of much help," said Purah with a concerned look on her face, "But I believe you will be able to get Hyrule back on its feet in no time!"

"I hope so."

Zelda said goodbye to her old partner. She wished her well and promised to visit her again as soon as she could. Link, who had been sitting in a corner of the room the whole time, got up and started readying the horses.

It dawned on the young queen how much work was ahead of her. Rebuilding Hyrule was going to be a long, arduous process. She prayed to the Goddess she would be up to task. She prayed things would be okay.

* * *

She decided they were to stay in Hateno for five days before going back on the road. She felt she needed some time to prepare for their long trip across Hyrule to their next destination, Zora’s Domain. She also wanted to stay in one place for a little while; They had been traveling ever since she got back.

The second night in Hateno was barely more restful than the first one. Always that nightmare. She had woken up in a cold sweat, and, unable to go back to sleep, decided to take a stroll in the still sleeping village. She quietly got out of the house; Link was still sleeping soundly on the sofa downstairs. She tried not to wake him up.

The sun was starting to rise up as she wondered downtown. Some of the villagers were already awake, setting up shop. She bought an apple from the general store as she was getting a little hungry and ate it while walking towards the edge of town.

She noticed the great tree on top of a cliff at the east of town. She decided to go sit under it, and look at the town from above.

She spent some time under that tree. From there she contemplated life in Hateno. She could see everyone going about their day. Children were playing in the street, laughing and screaming, while the adults were working hard harvesting fruits, taking care of animals, or running the few shops that were in the village.

She tried to remember that every single one of her subjects had their own desires and struggles, their own needs and their own history. She realized being the queen meant that she would never know the intricacy of all their lives, and would have to make decisions that would affect them regardless. A tough balancing act. It was in times like these she wondered if she was really the right person for the job.

Her father was wise, and a great ruler. he was loved by everyone in Hyrule. Could she live up to his legacy? He did his best to groom her into succeeding him, to a point where he was more a teacher than a father at times, but that training had been cut short by the Calamity.

She might have been over a hundred years old, she still felt like a teenager. The century she spent wrestling with Ganon were nothing more than wasted years; They were spent somewhere between consciousness and sleep, always in darkness.

Witnessing how well Hateno and Kakariko had held together in her absence made her question whether she was needed at all. Was it time for a new social order in Hyrule? Was it time to retire the royal family altogether?

Still, everywhere she had been the people seemed to recognize her authority as queen; They probably associated her with a lost Golden Age they thought she could bring back. But could she? Or was she deceiving them by promising something she would not be able to deliver?

She was tormenting herself with all sorts of questions when she heard someone coming from behind the tree.

"Here you are," Link said when got up to her. She looked up to him; He was smiling. He then sat down next to her, in the shade.

"I've been looking for you. You disappeared without saying a word this morning. Is everything okay?"

"Yes of course."

She paused

"Well... I don't know." She looked at him. "Do you think I make a good queen?"

"Are you worried about that?"

"Maybe. I just don't know if I'm very qualified. I've been absent for so long and Hyrule has changed dramatically. It's almost like I'm a stranger to it now. The places are the same but the people are all different. I don't want them to follow me just because they heard about me in stories. If they want to follow me at all..."

"I understand how you feel. It was the same way for me. I woke up without not knowing anything of Hyrule and had to learn everything again. I took some time but I managed. This Hyrule is now my Hyrule. If I did it then I believe you can too."

"I'm not as strong as you are"

"You're stronger."

"But what legitimacy do I have to rule. Hyrule did fine without me."

"It did not do fine. In fact it is more fragmented than ever. It might as well not be called Hyrule. But you can unite it, make it whole again, because everyone respects you and your authority."

"They only do because they heard about me in stories and legends."

"Yes exactly! They grew up on stories your bravery and your dedication to the people of Hyrule. These stories are all true. You are the bravest, smartest and most selfless person in all the kingdom, and therefore, the most fit to rule it."

"You really think so?"

"Of course."

It seemed he truly believed in her. At least one of them did. For a moment, she felt her worries easing up. She felt comfortable knowing he would always support her. She rested her head on his shoulder and said "Thank you."

She stayed like this for a couple minutes, eyes closed, enjoying the moment. She soon fell asleep; She did not sleep much that night after all. Link did not move an inch the whole time.

* * *

Then came the time to leave Hateno. She had managed to convince half a dozen men and women of the village to travel to Central Hyrule and start setting up a camp there while she was out getting more volunteers to join them.

Their next destination would be the Zora's Domain, in the Lanayru region. As with everywhere they had been, she wondered how much of it had changed in the past hundred years. But this time she promised herself to not get caught up in negative thoughts so that she could rally as many people as possible to her cause.

She had a vision for Hyrule’s new capital. She wanted it to be a hub for all the races to live together in harmony. Link was right in saying that Hyrule was more fragmented than ever. Each of the races and clans of the once great nation had retreated into isolation in order to protect themselves. She did not blame them, but the evil was gone, and it was now time to come together as one again.

The roads were much safer now that Ganon was gone. Even the Yiga clan disappeared with it. The only danger could come from some of the wildlife, and maybe a couple potential bandits. They did not encounter any of that on their way to Zora's Domain.

It had been a pleasant trip; Link had been more talkative than usual, detailing the various adventures he had in this part of the kingdom. She could feel them getting close again and she was grateful for it.

"I actually almost drowned in here once," he said pointing at the river.

"That would have been awful," she replied, "I don't want to think about it."

He laughed, "I'm okay!"

He had always been very glib about having been in dangerous situations. In a way it showed his bravery, but she wished he would be more careful about putting himself in harm's way. The worst of it was hopefully behind them though, she thought. She didn't want anything to happen to him.

Every once in while they would stop, take a break. They would snack on a fruit, and Zelda would take out her Sheikah slate and take pictures of their surroundings. Link had given it back to her almost as soon as she got back; It was hers after all. She really liked taking pictures, mostly of nature, but she sometimes would take candids of Link. He always looked gorgeous in them. He was a very photogenic person.

Her opening up a little to him made their travel so much more pleasant. They would talk and laugh for hours on end. It was almost like before. Almost.

Before she knew it they arrived at Zora's Domain. It was as beautiful as ever, with its arches and delicate architecture, all lit up by white lamps. In its center was something new: a statue of her old friend Mipha.

She would take the to fully visit the city later; For now, she had a lot to do.

* * *

The first thing she did upon arriving was meet with the Zora’s king. She got up to the royal building. It was shaped like a giant fish, with its mouth serving as an entrance and its tail extending into the sky. She went up the final set of stairs and entered the throne room. It was a big, intricate, circular building inside, with large blue crystal arches all around its circumference supporting a tall crystal dome. A massive central pillar served as a throne as well as the final support for the roof. On it sat the king of the Zoras, Dorephan.

He had grown even bigger than the last time she saw him. He was an imposing presence, intimidating almost.

"Princess Zelda, how good it is to see again. It has been too long, child."

"It is good to see you too, King Dorephan," said Zelda while bowing in front of him.

"What brings you to Zora's Domain?"

"As you can see, your Highness, I have returned, and am therefore claiming the position of Queen of Hyrule. It has been without a ruler for a hundred years now, and what I have witnessed is a fragmented kingdom. I do not lay the blame on anyone but Ganon, and I understand the circumstances that led to this state of things, but, as Queen, I intend to do everything in my power to unite the races of Hyrule once again and lead the kingdom to a new Golden Age."

She had spent some time rehearsing her speech on the way there.

"King Dorephan, I must therefore ask you: Will you accept my authority as Queen of Hyrule, and will you pledge to help rebuild the Kingdom, alongside all the other races?"

The old zora looked at her for a second, and laughed so loud it resonated within the throne room.

"Well of course, child! I would not want it any other way. You really are your father's offspring, may he rest in peace. So much determination in your voice; It would be hard not to be swayed. So, what do you need from the Zora, child?"

She smiled. She felt proud of herself.

"I will need you to let your people know I am in need of workers to start rebuilding the Capital. I have already convinced some people from Kakariko Village and Hateno, but the more the better. Don't forget to let them know it will be nicely compensated."

"Of course, child. Will you be staying here in Zora's Domain? We would be delighted to have you. "

"I welcome your hospitality. We will be staying a couple days at most."

"Very well. I will start relaying your offer. Take some time to rest. It sounds like you still have much work ahead of you."

"Thank you, your highness."

She bowed again and headed for the exit.

There she found Link in the middle of a discussion with a tall red male Zora.

"By the Goddess, Sidon?" she said.

The Zora turned his head, "Princess, sorry, Queen Zelda! You really are back!"

"You've grown so tall in my absence! I barely recognized you! Link told me you two had quite the adventure together."

Sidon’s face lit up.

"Now, that's true! Did he tell you about how I helped him get to the Divine Beast? He was on my back and i was swimming so fast, and he was shooting all sorts of arrows at it trying to neutralize it," Sidon was noticeably excited to talk about their exploits. He might have been over a hundred years old but as far as Zoras were concerned he was still a teenager.

"But I won't bother you much longer. It's starting to get late, and you must be really tired from the road." He was right, she was starting feel exhausted.

They booked the only room at the local Inn. Only two beds; They must not have gotten a lot of visitors this past century. Zelda quickly realized how close together the two beds were. It was almost like sharing a single bed. She felt a little embarrassed, but it would have to do.

The room was wide open. No doors or blinds in sight. The Zoras had differents views about privacy it seemed; Not that anyone would be watching them as the Zoras tend to sleep in the lake beneath the city.

She took off her shoes and slipped into the bed. Link was already asleep next to her. He always fell asleep so fast. There was something beautiful about how peaceful he looked. A part of her wanted to touch his face, gently caress his cheek like she used to do, but thankfully the rest of her knew how inappropriate that would be. They weren't together, she couldn't forget about that.

She spent at least two hours tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. This happened every time she was alone with her thoughts at night. She was under attack from her own mind. She could feel her chest tighten and her breathing become heavier and faster. It could take hours for her to calm down, and finally fall asleep.

What if the other races rejected her? What if they had gotten too accustomed to their independence? She would need everyone to follow her lead if she wanted to bring back Hyrule to the way it was under her father. But then again, they actually had respect for her father. Could she claim leadership just by virtue of her birth?

She had gotten the Zoras to join her. She should feel good about that, so why didn't she?

And more importantly, Why wasn't she able to either tell him how she had felt and still felt about him? He was right next to her. It would be so easy to just tell him. But she was paralyzed by fear. What if he rejected her? What then? And what if she never told him? Could she bury how she felt and move on?

After hours of endless doubt and questioning she finally gave in to her exhaustion and fell asleep.

* * *

That night was marred by nightmares as usual. Thankfully she did not sleep very long; The sun woke her up shortly after she fell asleep. Thank the Goddess for the Zora's aversion to any sort of blinds or shutters. Link was already awake and was nowhere to be found. She was sweaty and felt a desperate need for a bath and a change of clothes.

She had packed several outfits in one of their bags. She would have to have most of these washed before their departure. She picked one of the few remaining clean ones and headed for the public pool area that was on the second floor of Zora's Domain.

There was no one around there. She felt it was probably for the best; The Zoras might not mind being naked in front of others, but she did.

She dressed down to her underwear and got in the water. It was warm and pleasant. She could feel her muscles relaxing as she was floating in the clear water. She needed this. A bucket of cold water and a washcloth can only get you so far.

She spent a couple minutes there, her mind more or less blank, at ease.

She heard a voice coming from behind her "Mind if I join?"

She turned around only to find Link with his clothes already off, ready to jump in the water. She felt a rush of blood surging to her cheeks. She had not seen him like this in so long. His body was like a sculpture, nicely defined, equally graceful and robust. He was covered in scars. She felt some guilt, and a deep desire to hold him against her.

"S-sure." She could not really refuse him anything.

He proceeded to get in the pool. She remembered she was almost naked; She couldn't decide if she wanted him to see her like this or not. He seemed to notice her embarrassment.

"I can move to another pool if I'm bothering you."

"No, stay."

They faced each other without saying a word, floating in the warm water. I felt a little awkward, but also comfortable.

After a while she said "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

She pointed at his scars.

"Oh this? This is nothing, I promise."

"It's just that, you've been through so much, and I don't think I could ever thank you enough, for all you've done."

"What I've been through is nothing compare to what you have. Don't worry about it."

"But you've been hurt so bad, and lost so much... all your memories."

"Well, I haven't lost everything. I've got you. I may have lost my memories, but when I'm with you it's almost like I can remember. This feels a little familiar for example, and so does traveling with you."

She felt her heart beat harder. Would he say something like that if he didn't care about her? Did he actually remember?

"But you don't actually remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

No more making excuses. She had to let him know now or she would regret it the rest of her life.

"This."

She got closer and kissed him on the lips. He pulled her away for a second, looking at her with a surprised look on his face. Did she go too far? Was this the end of their relationship? Her worries immediately vanished as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her body, and kissed her back.

He then looked her in the eyes and said, "I may not remember the times we spent together in the past but I do have feelings for you. They've always been there. The moment i heard your voice in my head I knew you were important to me. Being around you the last couple weeks I finally realized how important that was. But I did not want to distract you or cause the relationship between us to become strained. I wanted to be around you no matter what. I'm sorry if my indecision caused you anguish."

"No I'm the one who was indecisive. I should've told you earlier. I should've been braver." She paused, and put her head against his chest. "But it doesn't matter now. I'm so happy. I've waited a hundred years for this moment."

They stayed pressed against each other for a while, floating as one in the clear water of the pool.

As Zoras started coming in, they realized it was probably best to leave, so they dried themselves and put on their clothes.

She was holding his hand as they got out of the public pool area.

"What now," she said.

"Come with me. I know a place with a great view over the city."

They followed a path outside Zora's Domain that led into the mountains. They arrived near one of the old Sheikah shrines, laying dormant just like all the others after Ganon was defeated. From there they could see the entire city. It was a beautiful view indeed, but she couldn't take her eyes away from Link. They sat on the edge of the cliff and looked at the Domain for a little bit. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She looked at him and kissed him. It was a long and passionate kiss, the kind she had been dying to give for a century.

Maybe everything would be okay, and even if they were not, she would still have him by her side. That she was sure of. She couldn’t ask for more.

That did not mean the doubts, the fears, and the nightmares were gone, but that night when she eventually got woken up by them she found comfort in Link's warm embrace, and she felt more at peace.

Things were not going to fix themselves overnight, but she felt maybe, just maybe, she might be able to heal, and look towards the future with confidence.

* * *

Six months had passed and the rebuilding of Central Hyrule was well underway. She had managed to bring all the races together once again, which made her feel a sense of accomplishment, and a little bit of pride. It had not been an easy task; While the Goron and the Gerudo readily approved of her leadership, the Rito had grown to like their total independence from everyone else, and it took some convincing to have them bow down to a superior authority. She had to use her wits and make compromises with them as to how ressources would be distributed, but after some negotiations they agreed to join her.

Now she was supervising the reconstruction of the capital. Her short-term goal was to rebuild enough that people would be able to move in and live there, but keep expanding the city at the same time. Former official buildings had been refashioned into habitable spaces and some more housing had been built from the ground up, in accordance to her vision. A few shops were also ready to be opened, so life in Central Hyrule could get going as soon as possible.

In the meantime they had been living in tents in a camp outside of the ruined city. It was not very comfortable but she had gotten used to it.

In the evening the workers would all dine together around a huge campfire. There was laughing and drinking, stories of families back home, and a feeling of doing important work. They came from every corner of the kingdom: Gerudo, Goron, Rito, Zora, Hylians, all working together to build a better Hyrule. It was beautiful she thought, a realization of her ideals. It was humbling being around them, hearing about their hopes and dreams, and their daily struggles. It made her feel more connected to present Hyrule.

They seemed to in turn have a great deal of respect and admiration for her. Probably because Link did not stop reminding them she had kept them safe for a century and that she ultimately defeated Ganon, not him. Or maybe they genuinely thought she was good leader. Either way she appreciated it.

She and Link had only gotten closer over the past six month, ever since they got back together. In many ways she felt closer to him now than she had before he lost his memories. She discovered just how attentive he could be. He would often cook for her; That was on of the ways he showed affection. They were also more intimate than ever. Every time they kissed she felt like time stopped and that they were the only two people in all of Hyrule. At night he would hold her close and she would feel safe and loved, and whenever she would wake up in the middle of the night she would know that she wasn't alone, that he would never be alone ever again.

The nightmares were still there of course, but they were less frequent. She would sometimes get a full night sleep, sometimes several days in row. And when she felt doubt or fear, he would notice it and would be there to reassure her that things were good, and that she was doing the best she could.

Once it enough of it was ready, Central Hyrule started filling with life. People from all of Hyrule found themselves there. It became a hub of commerce and cultural exchange, even more dynamic than it ever was in the past. People would live, trade, and fall in love there. It was everything Zelda had hoped it would be and more.

After Hyrule castle was renovated, she decided to move back there with Link, but she tried her best not to distance herself from the people. She would often walk around the capital with Link, meeting with her subjects, and she had decided she would take regular trips through the kingdom, to make sure none of the regions felt left out of the decision making process, even though each of them had ambassadors in the capital. She was determined to be the best Queen she could be.

And so the rebuilding of Hyrule went on, and the kingdom flourished once again, all thanks to its young ruler and her devoted knight.

* * *

**The End**


End file.
